Royal Favourites: the secret lives of royals, aristocrats and commoners: Kings of Denmark--

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Kings of Denmark--

Christian II of Denmark

(1481-1559)
King of Denmark, Norway & Sweden

" . . . [B]ut in 1514 Christian married Elisabeth (Isabella) of Habsburg, the 13-year-old granddaughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, and sister of the future Charles V. The importance of this match cannot be overestimated. Elisabeth's dowry was not generous, not was it ever paid in full, but the marriage was Denmark's first marital tie to a major European dynasty. The connection would be of great personal benefit to Christian during his years in exile, and a major source of distress to his successors." (Denmark, 1513-1660: The Rise and Decline of a Renaissance Monarchy: 13)

Affair's effect of his wife & her family.

"The girl-queen was no beauty, but her gentleness and amiability quickly won all hearts. At first, she did not please a consort old enough to be her father. The liaison with Dyveke continued and caused much ill-feeling both in Denmark and the Netherlands. In the spring of 1516 arrived ambassadors both from the Emperor and from Brussels, insisting upon Dyveke's summary expulsion from the realm; whereupon Christian, in sheer defiance, dismissed and sent home the young queen's Dutch waiting-women, and placed his mistress and her mother in a mansion at Copenhagen, close at hand. . . ." (History of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1513-1900: 16)

His lovers were:

Dyveke Sigbritsdatter
& Christian II of Denmark

1) Dyveke Sigbritsdatter (1490-1517)
Lover in 1507/09-1517.

Love at first sight, hia mistress after the dance.

"One day the king's Norwegian chancellor, Archbishop Eric Valkendorf, strolling through Bergen, was attracted by two women in a baker's booth, one of them a sprightly matron and the other a young girl of extraordinary loveliness. He stopped and spoke to the matron, who struck him as more than usually intelligent. She was a Dutchwoman, Sigbrit by name; and the daughter was called Dyveke. The chancellor, knowing that 'the king was in the highest degree an admirer of beauty,' informed Christian of his adventure; and Dyveke was invited to a ball which th eking gave to the burgesses of the town. Christian fell in love with the Dutch beauty at first sight, and danced with her all the evening; 'but in that dance,' caustically remarks the old chronicler, Arild Hvitfeld, 'he danced away the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.' The same night Dyveke became the king's mistress. He thereupon established both mother and daughter in a commodious stone house at Oslo, and, on the death of his father, took them both with him to Copenhagen." (Scandinavia: A Political History of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1513 to 1900: 13)

"When Prince Christian returned to Denmark in 1512, he brought back more than just executive experience. He also brought a new family. While in Bergen in either 1507 or 1509, Christian fell in love with one Dyveke, the young and beautiful daughter of an Amsterdam merchant. He made no effort to conceal the affair, and Dyveke lived openly with the prince after their journey back to Denmark. The liaison between the heir apparent and a mere burgher's daughter must have raised a few eyebrows, but the Danish nobility was far more troubled by another member of the king's household: Dyveke's mother, Sigbrit Willemsson, more familiar to the Danes as Mother (Mor) Sigbrit. Dyveke was Christian's love, but Mother Sigbrit would become his closest confidante and adviser. . . Dyveke would remain the king's mistress until her death in 1517. . . ."(Denmark, 1513-1660: The Rise and Decline of a Renaissance Monarchy: 13)

" . . . Early in his career Christian II met Dyveke Willumsdatter, a young Dutch girl and commoner, and she was to become his unabashed mistress from his beginning reign to her mysterious death in 1517. . . ." (CdeBaca, 2009)

Affair's end & aftermath.
" . . . A year later (1517) under suspicious circumstances which point to foul play. She is supposed to have eaten some poisoned cherries sent to her by Torben Oxe, governor of Copenhagen, a man of shady antecedents, whose advances she seems to have rejected. At the end of the same year Christian took his revenge. Oxe was arrested by his order, and, after a form of trial so irregular that it can hardly be called a trial at all, was condemned to be beheaded. That the king shroud thus dare to lay hands upon a nobleman of bad character was resented by Oxe's peers as deliberate outrage. Every effort was made to save him. The whole Rigsraad, with the bishops, the papal legate, and the queen herself at its head, pleaded on their knees for the privileged prisoner; but Christian was inexorable, and the same day Oxe was decapitated. The mountain eagle had at last caused his sharp talons to be felt. The execution of Torben Oxe, well-deserved if illegally brought about, marks a significant change in Christian's policy. . . ." (History of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1513-1900: 16)

Mistress mother's influence on the royal lover.
" . . . Hitherto he had favoured the nobles: from henceforth his chief counselor in affairs of State was Dyveke's mother, Sigbrit. This extraordinary woman, of whom we know only that her father's name was Villom, and that she came from Amsterdam, must have been a born administrator and a commercial genius of the first order. Christian II had recognised her ability from the outset. He first appointed her controller of the Sound tolls, and ultimately committed to her the whole charge of the finances. In this position she displayed inexhaustible energy and absolute probity; but her hatred of the nobility, to whom she attributed the death of her daughter, induced her to endeavour by all means to supplant the king's ordinary advisers by proteges of her own. Nearly every unpopular measure was attributed to the influence of Sigbrit, 'the foul-mouthed Dutch sorceress who hath bewitched the king.' Moreover, a bourgeoisie herself, it was Sigbrit's constant policy to elevate the middle classes and extend their influence at the expense of the aristocracy. She soon became the soul of a middle-class inner council which competed with the Rigsraad itself. Kings and princes corresponded with her on state affairs' and, when the queen, a year after Dyveke's death, bore her first son, Sigbrit, who acted as midwife on the occasion, was made Mistress of the Robes." (History of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1513-1900: 16)

Affair's beneficiaries.
" . . . Alongside Dyveke, Christian II accompanied her mother Sigbritt , known in Danish history as “Mother Sigbritt,” a Dutch widow of a middle-class merchant from Amsterdam. Mother Sigbritt became Christian II’s economic advisor, a “chancellor of the exchequer,” and chief administrator of the Sound Dues—the revenue tolls for passing Baltic trade which was of primary importance to Denmark’s economy for the next two centuries. . . ." (CdeBaca, 2009)

"While his marriage with Isabel brought him further power and wealth, Christian turned to his mistress, a native of Holland called Dyveke, to satisfy his passionate urges. Her mother, Sigbrit Willems, gained great influence over the political actions of the king. She managed to convince Christian that his kingdom could be as prosperous as Holland if he were to break the power of the nobility and the prelates. Sigbrit also prompted him to undertake the massacre of Stockholm in 1521... In need of funds for the war, Christian II left the government of Denmark in the hands of Sigbrit and went to the Netherlands to demand the rest of his dowry. . . . " (Neptune and the Netherlands: 213)

"The death of Christian II's mistress, Dyveke, in the summer of 1517 produced a change in the situation at Copenhagen. The unfortunate girl, a victim of her ambitious mother's designs, died very suddenly one afternoon after eating cherries in the royal gardens. The King's suspicions fell n his steward, Toben Axe, who was brutally put to death in spite of his protestations of innocence. But the Queen's position was distinctly improved. Christian now treated his wife with marked kindness, and appointed her Regent when early in the following year, he went to Sweden to put down a rising of the nobles. Sigebritt Willem's influence, however, still remained paramount, and, in a letter to the Queen from Sweden, Christian begged her to consult the Dutchwoman in any difficulty, and ended by wishing her and 'Mother Sigebritt' a thousand good-nights. Stranger still to relate, when, on the 21st of February, Isabella gave birth to a son, the infant Prince was entrusted to Sigebritt's care." (Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan and Lorraine, 1522-1590: 24)

Dyveke's other lover was.
"As he [Christian II of Denmark] entered the lonely cell in the highest turret of the castle, Knut Gyldenstern, who is said to have been one of his mistress Dyveke's lovers, plucked the fallen monarch by the beard, and tore the jewel of the Golden Fleece from his neck. . . ." (Christina of Denmark: 65)

2) Columbule.
" . . . His domestic government became more and more oppressive, chiefly through the extortion contrived by Sigebrette, the mother of his mistress Columbule. . . ." (Rose: 296)

"Foburgh (say our authors) was one of those men whom fortune wantonly raised from obscurity to the highest dignities, only to render his downfall more conspicuous. After passing with reputation through several private employments, he found means of being introduced to court, where he insinuated himself so artfully into the king's confidence, that he soon became one of his first ministers. His rapid elevation excited envy, and encreased (sic) the number of his enemies, one of the most dangerous of whom was Torbern, who bore him a private grudge for his endeavours to ruin him by accusation he lodged of his carrying on an intrigue with Columbule, the king's mistress. . . ." (Smollett: 174)

"In other respects, indeed, Torbern cannot altogether be vindicated. It is certain that used the power in his hands with partiality; and that, in the affair of Foburgh, he fought rather the gratification of his own revenge, than the public good. Besides, it is beyond all doubt, that Columbule was poisoned, and all the world charged him with her death, as the occasion, if not the immediate instrument of it. . . ." (Smollett: 176)

Christian IV of Denmark

Christian IV af Danmark

(1577-1648)

King of Denmark

1588-1648

" . . . He was a man of restless energy, likely to plunge enthusiastically into projects, only to fall into despair at the first setback, before bouncing back with renewed confidence. A good organizer, he often wrecked his plans through impatience and a reluctance to delegate. Despite significant defeats, he passed into Danish consciousness as the country's best-loved king, not least for his lively character, great appetite and energetic love life. A loveless first marriage to Anna Catherina of Brandenburg was followed by a succession of mistresses, culminating in a second, morganatic marriage to Kirsten Munk, a well-connected young Danish noblewoman who failed to return her husband's devotion and later tried to murder him. A lack of passion did not preclude three sons from the first marriage. The eldest prince shared his father's first name and passion for drinl, but not of his intellect or vigour and predeceased him in 1647. Ulrik, the youngest, died at 22 in 1633, leaving only Frederick, the middle son, to succeed their father in 1648. The two early deaths could have been predicted, of course, and for much of his reign, Christian was driven by his strongly Lutheran sense of family responsibility to provide for two princes who could not inherit the kingdom." (Europe's Tragedy: A New History of the Thirty Years War)

Not a doting, but a prolific, father.

"In 1621, Bremen also joined Hamburg in Denmark's political orbit, but for different reasons and by different means. For Bremen filled yet another need for Christian IV: providing security for the younger sons of the dynasty. Christian was not a doting father, but he was a prolific one. His unhappy marriage to Anna Cathrine of Brandenburg produced three sons who survived to adulthood: Christian (1603-47), Frederik (1609-70), and Ulrik (1611-33). He sired two more sons by his mistresses Kirsten Madsdatter and Karen Andersdatter. The king's morganatic marriage to the young noblewoman Kirsten Munk in 1615 eas especially fruitful: before they parted ways in 1629, he and Kirsten had two boys and seven girls. Anna Cathrine's two younger sons presented the greatest dynastic problems. Duke Christian, whom the Council had already recognized as Prince-Elect Christian (V), had a secure future as heir apparent to the throne, but dukes Frederik and Ulrik would have to be provided for, and further partition of the Duchies was out of the question. For a Protestant German prince of means, the most convenient solution to the problem of younger sons came from the secularized bishoprics of northern Germany. Since the Peace of Augsburg in 1555, the Protestant territorial princes had regularly coerced or bribed the cathedral chapters of the many formerly Catholic bishoprics in the north to accept their sons as prince-bishops or 'administrators'. Such positions not only gave their recipients respectable patrimony and a steady income, but they also helped to expand the influence and reputation of the dynasties that sponsored them. The competition over secularized bishoprics became fierce in the first quarter of the seventeenth century, even though the practice was illegal under the terms of the Augsburg peace. Frederik II had tried his hand at what was called Stiftpolitik, attempting to place Christian IV's younger brother Ulrik (1578-1624) on the episcopal throne at Strassburg in the mid 1580s. The plan fell through, but in 1591 Ulrik became coadjutor (designated successor to the sitting bishop) at Schwerin, and he took the bishop's seat there in 1603." (Denmark, 1513-1660: The Rise and Decline of a Renaissance Monarchy: 160)

His lovers were:
1) Karen Andersdatter (d.1673)
Lover in 1613 to 1615/1616.

"Brahe eventually left the island under less than pleasant circumstances after his benefactor, King Frederick, died of an excess of Carlsberg or whatever mead was popular in Denmark in 1600. The fief of Hven reverted to the crown, and the new king subsequently gave the island to one Karen Andersdatter, a mistress he had picked up at a wedding party...." (Lederman & Teresi: 80)

2) Kirsten Madsdatter (d.1613).

Lover in 1610-1613.

Natural offspring:

Christian Ulrik Gyldenlove (1611-1640). " . . . Willem's mother, Ingeborg Frederiksdatter Leyel, married Johan Willumsen, who became mayor of Elsinore in 1618, and when he died in 1623 she married Matthias Hansen, yet another mayor, this time in Copenhagen. Matthias Hansen's daughter, Kirsten Madsdatter, had in her youth been Christian IV's mistress and had borne him a son, Christian Ulrik Gyldenlove. . . ." (Bredsdorff: 18)

"At this time the Dunkirk pirates had become such a menace to shipping that Christian IV had recently sent his illegitimate son by Kirsten Madsdatter, young Christian Ulrik Gyldenlove, to the Cardinal Infante in Brussels in the Spanish Netherlands to demand restitution for the unlawful seizure of Danish ships. . . ." (Bredsdorff: 46)

"Christian Ulrik Gyldenlove was the son of Christian IV and his mistress Kirsten Madsdatter. In July 1640, he entered Spanish service with a cavalry of 600. In Oct. 1640 he died in Meinertzhagen in Westphalia." (The Correspondence of Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia: 935)

Kirsten Munk

3) Kirsten Munk (1598-1658)

Morganatic wife of King Kristian IV of Denmark, 1615.

"In 1627, Kirsten fell in love with a German cavalry captain in her husband's service, the Rhinegrave Otto Ludwig of Salm-Kyrburg (1597-1634). The couple are alleged to have had encounters where they met, at Funen, but also at Kronborg and Copenhagen. Eventually, word came to the king of his wife's illicit affair. The king did not accept Kirsten's last daughter, born in 1629, as his own, but called her 'Miss Leftover'. Supposedly after seeing two maids sleeping outside her locked door he got a footman to engrave the date on a stone and did not have sex with Kirsten again. Her last daughter was conceived 10 months after this which was why he denied her. He accused Kirsten of adultery, of using witchcraft and of having contact with a magician in Hamburg." (Wikipedia)

" . . . Four years after her death the king privately married a handsome young gentlewoman, Kirsten Munk, by whom he had twelve children — a connection which was to be disastrous to Denmark. In the course of 1628 he discovered that his wife, Kirsten Munk, was having a relationship with one of his German officers; and when he put her away she endeavoured to cover up her own disgrace by conniving at an intrigue between Vibeke Kruse, one of her discharged maids, and the king. In January 1630 the rupture became final, and Kirsten retired to her estates in Jutland. . . ." (Wikipedia)

"Leonora Christina was the daughter of King Christian IV of Denmark and Kirstine Munk. . . In 1615 the King contracted a morganatic marriage with Kirstine Munk, a lady of an ancient and illustrious noble family. (Trond NOren Isakson)

" . . . Christian then married Kirsten Munk, who had twelve children. In 1628 he learned that Kirsten was having an affair with one of his German officers. She was banished from the court, despite the fact that he himself had a reputation for promiscuity, as well as drinking and gambling. He had additional children with several mistresses." (Brigitandcarl, 2011)

Vibeke Kruse

4) Vibeke Kruse (1605-1648)

Lover in 1629-1648.

Natural offspring:

1. Ulrik Christian Gyldenlove.

2. Elisabeth Sophia Gyldenlove.

"Vibeke Kruse was the mistress of Christian IV. The first part of Vibeke Kruse’s life is not known. She came into the service of Kirsten Munk, the second wife of Christian IV, and later of Kirsten Munk’s mother, Ellen Marsvin.

"The long suffering relationship between Christian IV and Kirsten Munk was finally severed in 1629 when the King began a love affair with Vibeke Kruse. The relationship was arranged by Ellen Marsvin, who wanted to continue her own good relations with the King.

"With the King, Vibeke Kruse had a son, Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve. She had a great influence on the King and he presented her with an estate in Holstein and a house in Copenhagen. At the death of Christian IV, Vibeke Kruse, who was sick at the time, was expelled from Rosenborg by Kirsten Munk’s son-in-law, Corfitz Ulfeldt. He also tried to initiate a court case against her; that did not succeed but she died a few months later." (The Royal Danish Collection)

" . . . In the course of 1628 he discovered a scandalous intrigue of his wife, Christina Munk, with one of his German officers, the Rhinegrave Otto Ludwig von Salm; and when he put her away the lady revenged herself by giving private political information to the Swedish resident at Elsinore, and endeavoured to cover up her own disgrace by only too successfully conniving at an intrigue between Vibeke Kruse, one of her discharged maids, and the king. In January, 1630, the rupture became final; and Christina and her mother retired to their estates in Jutland. Meanwhile Christian openly acknowledged Vibeke as his mistress; and she bore him a numerous family, upon whom he wasted large sums of money. Vibeke's children were of course the natural enemies of the children of Christina Munk; and the hatred between the two families was not without influence on the future history of Denmark." (Scandinavia: A Political History of Denmark, Norway and Sweden from 1513 to 1900: 165)

Christian V af Danmark

(1646-1699)

King of Denmark

1670-1699

His lover was:

Sofia Amalia Moth
Countess of Samso

Sofia Amalia Moth (1654-1719)

Countess of Samso 1677.

Lover in 1670.

"In 1771, Christian V publicly introduced to Court his mistress, Sophie Amalie Moth (1654-1719). She was the daughter of his former tutor, Paul Moth. Sophie Amalie bore the King five children, each of whom he acknowledged publicly and gave the surname Gyldenløve. The acknowledged illegitimate Children of Mistress Sophie Amalie and Christian V: Christiane Gyldenløve (1672); Christian Gyldenløve (1674); Sophie Christiane Gyldenløve (1675); Anna Christiane Gyldenløve (1676); Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve (1678)." (Lauren, 2010)

"...Almost his first act on ascending the throne was publicly to insult his consort, the amiable Charlotte Amelia of Hesse Cassel, by introducing into court, as his officially recognised mistress, Amelia Roth, a girl of sixteen, the daughter of his former tutor." (Bain: 273)

Christian VII of Denmark

Christian VII af Danmark

(1749-1808)

Caroline Matilda of Great Britain
Queen of Denmark

Caroline Matilda of Great Britain

Queen of Denmark
(1751-1775)

mar 1766, div 1772

His lover was:

Anne Catherine Benthagen
the Mistress of the Universe
@Wikipedia

Anne Catherine Benthagen (1745-1805)

Lover in 1767.

"From the journey, Christian VII had brought with him as his personal physician Johann Friedrich Struensee (1737-1772) [Kryger/'Satire']. He would soon exceed his competences and become the most powerful man in the country. In May 1770 the German physician was appointed 'Conferensraad' (councillor), and the court immediately fell into a deep crisis. Many people fell into disgrace, while "Stifelet Cathrine [Kryger/'Satire'] made her comeback as the king's mistress after many attempts to expel her from Copenhagen. She was allowed to stay where she pleased, and even granted a yearly allowance corresponding to Wiedewelt's salary, 500 Rdl." (Johannes Wiedewelt: A Danish Artist in Search of the Past, Shaping the Future: 26)

Spouses & Children: She married 1) lawyer Conrad Ditlev Maës, (1748–1813) in 1770, divorced and 2) musician Hans Heinrich Schweder (1760–1813) in 1785

Christian of Denmark
Prince Elect of Denmark.
(1603-1647)

His lover was:

Anne Lykke (1595-1641)

Wife of:

1. Carl Rantzau (1591-1623), mar 1615

2. Knud Elfeldt (1600-1646), mar 1629

"The king, for his part, almost went out of his way to antagonize the Council. In 1626, Prince-Elect Christian, acting as regent while his father was in Germany, indulged in a scandalous liaison with a noblewoman named Anne Lykke. The king found the situation highly embarrassing. Lykke, the widow of the late councillor Kaj Rantzau, was one of the wealthiest aristocrats in the realm. To stop the affair, Christian ordered her arrest and incarceration without charge. Eventually he released her, but only after the Council had expressed its indignation that he had treated one of its own in such a fashion. Meanwhile, the ling's marriage to Kristen Munk had become a matter of political contention. Several councillors gossiped irresponsibly that Kirsten exercised an evil influence over the king, that it was she who turned him against his faithful advisers. Christian was justifiably incensed by the mean-spirited talk, but his actions only fanned the flames: in the autumn of 1627 he gave Kirsten the title 'Countess of Slesvig and Holstein' and had her included in the standard liturgical prayers for the royal family. Granting such distinctions to a woman who was not royalty did not sit well with the members of the Council." (Denmark, 1513-1660: The Rise and Decline of a Renaissance Monarchy: 197)

"In 1626, his relationship with the noble Anne Lykke caused a conflict with his father and the council of state when his father arrested Lykke because of her influence on him and tried to have her charged with sorcery." (Wikipedia)

Eric VII of Denmark

Eric VII af Denmark
(1381-1459)

Son of: Wartislaw VII von Pommern & Maria von Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Husband of:

Philippa of England

Philippa of England (1394-1430)

Daughter of: Henry IV of England & Mary de Bohun.

Eric of Pomerania
Contemporary depiction

His lover was:

1) Cecilia (fl.1439)

Lover in 1430.

Danish lady-in-waiting, royal mistress & morganatic wife.

"A few words must be added respecting Cecilia, the King's mistress. She was not the only one. A woman named Dorothea had her seal engraved with the words---'Dorothea, King Eric's concubine.' But Cecilia was the most influential and the longest loved. There is, however, little information to be obtained as to her fortunes. It is probable that she was of obscure birth, and her position in the palace originally an inferior one; but under any circumstances the higher classes in Northern Europe had little toleration for such a position as hers; and her name, as the rival and tormentor of the good Queen Philippa, has been branded with ignominy. 'It once happened', says Fryxell, 'that the powerful and illustrious Olaf Tott met the King's mistress, damsel Cecilia, riding in a gay and gallant carriage, or karm, as it was then called; and Herr Olaf, not knowing her, took off his hat and saluted her respectfully, as if she had been a lady of quality. His servants began to smile at this; and When Olaf Tott learned whom he had saluted, he overturned her carriage in his wrath, drew damsel Cecilia out of it, and giving her three blows with the side of his sword, told her to carry his compliments to King Eric, and say that she should part him and Denmark." (Women of Europe in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries, Vol 1: 189)

Frederik II of Denmark

Frederik II af Danmark.

(1534-1588)

His lovers were:

Oluf Krognos & Anne von Hardenberg, 1572

1) Anne von Hardenberg.

Danish noblewoman

Lady-in-waiting to Queen Dorothea of Denmark

2) Kirsten Madsdatter.

3) Vibeke Kruse.

Frederick III of Denmark
@Find A Grave

Frederik III af Danmark.
(1609-1670)
Lover in 1637-1648.

His lover was:

Margarethe Pape (1620-1684)

Baroness of Lovendal 1683.

Daughter of: Nicolaus von Pape & Anna von Hatten.

Wife of: Daniel Hausmann (d.1670), County Governor of Segeberg, mar 1652

Natural offspring:
1. Ulrik Frederik Gyldenlove.

Frederik IV of Denmark

Frederik IV af Danmark.

His lovers were:

Anna Sophie von Reventlow
Queen of Denmark

1) Anna Sophie Reventlow (1693-1743)

Lover in 1711

later Queen of Denmark

"The century began with the best king of the period, Frederik IV (1671-1730), on the throne. He is often only remembered for his passion for beautiful women, his taking of his mistress, Anna Sofie Reventlow (1693-1743), for his second wife in 1721 and filling the court with her German relatives ('the Reventlow gang'), his love of travel, or for his pietism and the so-called sabbath laws. However, Frederik is one of Denmark's most popular rulers, and he earned this reputation as a well-meaning, intelligent, and hardworking king who took the drudgery of governing seriously. He filled his working days with attention to the most minute of details, and, although he had around him a changing body of advisers, he never turned the affairs of state over to favorites. . . ." (Scandinavia Since 1500: 100)

2) Charlotte Helene von Schindel (1690-1752)

Grafin von Frederiksholm.

"She became the lady in waiting of Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, the morganatic spouse by bigamy of King Frederik IV." (Wikipedia)

Elisabeth Helene
Countess of Antvorskov

3) Elisabeth Helene von Vieregg, Grafin von Antvorskov. (1679-1704)

Lady-in-waiting to Princess Sophie Hedevig of Denmark.

Lover in 1699.

Elisabeth was the daughter of Adam Otto von Vieregg, Prussian ambassador to Denmark, and later, Prussian prime minister, and his wife Anna Helene von Wulffersdorff. [Bio2:Store Danske]

Frederik V of Denmark
@Wikipedia

Frederik V of Denmark.

(1723-1766)

His lover was:

Else Hansen
@Wikipedia

Else Hansen.

Lover in 1746-1751

Frederik VI of Denmark

Frederik VI of Denmark.

(1768-1839)

His lovers were:

1) Charlotte Seuffert.

2) Bente Rafsted (1790-1862)

Danish royal mistress.

Lover in 1805/06.

Natural Offspring: "For many centuries, Danish kings were not satisfied with just having queens. They also had official mistresses. The last of these was Bente Frederikke Rafsted, King Frederik VI's mistress. They had four children together that the King acknowledged. One son was christened Frederik Wilhelm Dannemand and was appointed a count. He brought Aastrup in 1842. Count Dannemand was married three times but never had children. He therefore willed his estate to an institution for widows and unmarried ladies who were either related to him or one of his wives, or daughters of Danish officers. The institution was similar to the homes for unmarried ladies of rank, but was actually for people of less grandeur." (Rasmussen)

3) Frederikke Dannemand (1790-1862)

Lover in 1805/06.

"For many centuries, Danish kings were not satisfied with just having queens. They also had official mistresses. The last of these was Bente Frederikke Rafsted, King Frederik VI's mistress. They had four children together that the King acknowledged. One son was christened Frederik Vilhelm Dannemand and was appointed a count. He bought Aastrup in 1842. Count Dannemand was married three times but never had children. He therefore willed his estate to an institution for widows and unmarried ladies who were either related to him or one of his wives, or daughters of Danish officers. The institution was similar to the homes for unmarried ladies of rank, but was actually for people of less grandeur." (Rasmussen)

Frederik VII of Denmark

the Childless King

@Wikipedia

Frederik VII af Danmark.

(1808-1863)

King of Denmark

1848-1843

His lovers were:

Carl Berling

1) Carl Berling (1812-1871)
Danish courtier, printer & publisher.

2) Else Maria Guldborg Pedersen.
"Frederik VII was the childless king and with him died the Oldenburg dynasty, which had reigned over Denmark since 1448. His successor Christian IX – whose accession to the throne as the third son of the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg is surely the most fortuitous in history is the great-great grandfather of the present queen and an ancestor of most European royal houses – so much so that history – remembers him as the father-in-law of Europe.

"Nevertheless, four letters hidden by Maaløe’s family for the best part of a century in a grand piano prove that his predecessor had a son with a servant at Christiansborg Palace named Else Maria Guldborg Pedersen (also known as Marie Poulsen). The christening even followed royal protocol, naming him Frederik Carl Christian Poulsen – a claim that historian Jan Møller also made in his 1994 biography of the king, ‘Frederik 7. – En kongeskæbne’." (How the bloodline of Frederik VII, the childless king, lives on in Online Post)

A father's most tender expression of love for a beloved child:
“My own good Maria! Please accept my thanks for the son you have given me, it makes me just sorry that you have suffered so much so,” he wrote after the birth."I look forward to giving him a father’s kiss when I come to Copenhagen. When you again get well, good Mary, I will be delighted to see you again, and then you will probably also continue to be mine? Perhaps God will give us many joys yet. Let me now see that you take good care of the lad, so that he will come to resemble his father and I can see my likeness in him. Give the kid a kiss from me, which always remains with love. Your trusty Fred.’" (How the bloodline of Frederik VII, the childless king, lives on in Online Post)

3) Louise Christine Rasmussen (1815-1874)

Countess Danner

Danish ballet dancer, stage actor & royal mistress

"Irene's grandmother Elizabeth Lewis nee Wynn was the daughter of Frederik and his third wife, Louise Rasmussen, a commoner who took the tile Countess Danner. It is commonly perceived that Danner only had one child -- a son from an earlier relationship -- but she actually had two. Her daughter was born in great secrecy in February 1851, which was easily accomplished as the couple lived together in relative seclusion in Jagerpris in northern Zealand. She was initially named Mary. Had she been a boy, he would have been joyously announced to the nation and confirmed as Frederik's heir and successor to his monarchy and dukedoms. Although the royal couple's marriage on 7 August 1850 was morganatic and their offspring had no automatic right to succeed, the 'Constitution Giver' was a popular king and there would have been no opposition in Denmark or the duchies.

Frederik of Denmark
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Frederik af Danmark

Crown Prince of Denmark.
(1968-Present)
Crown Prince of Denmark 1972
Comte de Montpezat 2008.

Son of: Margrethe II af Danmark & Henri de Laborde, Comte de Monpezat.

Husband of: Mary Donaldson, Australian real estate agent & marketing consultant, mar 2004.

the Nordic Imelda Marcos: "Next in line to the throne is Crown Prince Frederik, who, after providing plenty of fodder for the tabloids as a young man, in May 2004, at the age of thirty-five, married Mary Donaldson, a former estate agent from Tasmania whom he met in a bar during the Sydney Olympics. The union had been widely seen as a success, but the couple have faced media criticism of their lavish lifestyle. The Crown Princess was dubbed a 'Nordic Imelda Marcos' in 2006 after an annual report into the finances of the Danish royals showed she and her husband were splurging the equivalent of almost 2,000 pounds a day on clothes, shoes and furniture." (Great Survivors: 17:)

His lovers were:

Frederik & Bettina Odum

1) Bettina Ødum.

Fashion designer.

"Copenhagen - The two-year romance between Denmark's bachelor Crown Price Frederik and the 25-year-old fashion designer Bettina Oedum has come to a sudden, but apparently amicable end, media reports said on Thursday. "I have decided to break off the relationship, but I am not an unhappy girl," Oedum told the weekly magazine Billed-Bladet. "What happened is best for us both". The two first met in a Paris cafe in February of 1999 when the 33-year-old prince was employed at the Danish embassy in the French capital and Oedum was studying design at the Paris American Academy. Although the pair had seen little of each other in recent months, Oedum said she is not bitter about the break-up with Frederik. "In hindsight, I can only say that it has been fun and positive. We have been in agreement about this, though I must say that I was the one who took the final step, which was not easy," Oedum was quoted as saying. Frederik's relationship with his former girlfriend, singer Maria Montell, also lasted two years. Oedum, who recently lost her job with the defunct Internet magazine The Rumour, planned to return to Paris to work in fashion." (news24)

Birgitte Vollerslev
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2) Birgitte Vollerslev-Hansen.

3) Celina Middelfart.
Lover in 1993.

4) Katja Storkholm.

Danish lingerie model.

Lover in 1990s.

Before there was Mary, there were a few others that caught Crown Prince Frederik’s eye… Most often noted–of quite a few–is Katja Storkholm. In fact, it was the mention of her being “the love of Frederik’s life” in Trine Villeman’s book, 1015 Copenhagen K, that left Crown Princess Mary in tears, and many wondering… Crown Prince Frederik and Katja Storkholm began dating in his early twenties. He hit it off with the gorgeous lingerie model, and even popped the question; to which she said yes. The only problem was the fact that his mother, Queen Margrethe forbade the pairing, denying Frederik’s wishes to marry the woman who helped him through much of his military training, as well as his royal duties. It wasn’t the fact she was a lingerie model that halted the pair’s plans for marriage, rather the fact there is an unwritten rule in the Danish royal family that they marry non-Danish partners." (Speaking of Royals)

5) Madeleine Bonde.

Swedish aristocrat.